What Might Have Been
by Austenwoolf
Summary: A little snippet from the ep. Yesterday's Enterprise.


I have once again partaken in to much coffee, and give you the following out of sheer boredom and frustration.  
  
Disclaimer: There not my dolls, I just pose them in positions of my choosing.  
  
Note: This takes place during the episode 'Yesterday's Enterprise'. I always wondered what happened to Deanna in that episode, and well it was on TV today so I thought what the hell. Because this is another timeline, please remember the characters are a little different. For example, I noticed Riker and Picard had this whole tension thing going on so cut me a little slack if I take creative license.  
  
Rated PG for language.  
  
What Might Have Been  
  
Will was fuming. *He is going to send them back to die on the word of some bartender.* He thought as he walked down the corridor with his customary swagger. A part of him had always thought the old man was losing it, but this was just plain crazy. Sending the Enterprise C back through the anomaly was a suicide mission, Picard just signed their death warrants.  
  
He was still nursing a grudge by the time he made it ten forward and sat at his customary place at the bar. He noticed some of the crewmembers form the C sitting at a corner table, enjoying diner together. *Having their last meal,* he thought bitterly before turning back to the bar. He ordered a whiskey straight up from a perky blonde, if he wasn't so pissed off he would have hit on her, but Picard had drained him of the energy for even that.  
  
As he waited for his drink (she may be cute, but damn she's slow) he spotted the ebony-skinned woman who had started all this nonsense in the first place. In truth, Riker had never liked Guinan, she was nice enough, but something about her rubbed him the wrong way. The fact that Picard had decided to send one-hundred and twenty-five people to their death based solely on her word only served to irritate him even more.  
  
Will watched her closely as she made her way through the room, stopping occasionally to talk to someone. As she was talking to a young ensign, she locked eyes with him for a moment and for the second time in his life, he felt like someone was weighing the value of his soul. Guinan smiled at the ensign, walked away from the table, and made a line straight for him.  
  
She took a seat beside him and sat there, as if she was waiting for him to strike up a conversation. He tried to ignore her, but found it impossible when she was sitting there looking so serene and all knowing.  
  
"Have you ever been to the planet Betazed?" Riker jumped a little at the sound of her voice, he wasn't expecting her to say anything. It took a moment for her question to register, and when it did, all he could muster was a stupid look in response. "It's a lovely planet, green, and warm, and the people there are wonderful, so full of life, so open. Don't you think?" He nodded; even though he knew he looked like a moron, he couldn't seem to get his tongue to work. *Why is she asking me about Betazed? How does she know?*  
  
"I know you don't believe me," she continued as if she did not even notice his lack of response. "You think it sounds crazy, believe me, I think it sounds crazy, but I know this isn't right."  
  
Finally, he had control of his tongue again. "How do you know?" He wanted to release some of his frustration on this strange woman, but his voice sounded hollow instead.  
  
"Do you know a woman named Deanna Troi?" This time the impact of her question hit him immediately. He could feel the blood drain form his face; hear his heart hammering in his ears. He swallowed the lump that had suddenly grown in his throat, and tried to speak, but nothing came out. How long had it been since he had heard her name spoken aloud? Years, at least six years, but he whispered it in his mind everyday. He nodded; it was all he could do. Guinan looked at him with pity, but pushed on.  
  
"She died didn't she?"  
  
"In the war," his voice was a whisper.  
  
"It wasn't supposed to happen like that. In the right time she is alive, and she serves aboard this ship, with you."  
  
His head reeled. Suddenly he wanted everything she was saying to be true. For just a moment, he felt that he could gladly trade the lives of those one-hundred and twenty-five people just for a moment with Deanna. He remembered vividly the last time he talked to her. Two days before their wedding, two days before their lives would be joined forever. She was waiting for him to join her on Risa, when the planet was suddenly attacked. She was one of three-hundred casualties. He remembered her funeral, the sound of her Mother's screams of grief. All those memories flashed through his mind in one blur, all the pain came back as if it were yesterday. Finally, he forced his mind away from the open wound, and looked at Guinan.  
  
"Is that true?"  
  
"Yes. I know it's not easy to grasp, but in order for all the wrongs to be set right, those people have to go back." Guinan stood from the bar stool and with one last pitying look went back to being the mysterious bartender.  
  
Will threw back his drink in an attempt to wash away the bad taste that had formed in his mouth. He was torn between his early feelings of sending them to their death, and packing them back on the ship himself. His mind was eaten up by what-ifs, and if only. He still was not very comfortable with the idea of sending them back, but now he believed. He believed, because he had no other choice. Within just a few minutes Guinan had given meaning to his life, filled a void in his heart. For the first time in a long time, he had faith; faith that what might have been would become reality. 


End file.
